The Boston Bruins announced their roster for the upcoming Rookie Camp and Prospects Challenge, with several intriguing names in the mix as the team travels to Buffalo for a few days to compete in the Sabres Prospects Challenge.
As it is a rookie showcase, plenty of the names that will be playing over the next week or so will be of interest to the Providence Bruins as well, as we are sure to see plenty of the Rookie Camp roster log time in the AHL with the P-Bruins this season. One of those names is Dans Locmelis, a fourth-round draft pick of the Bruins in 2022, who is starting to get noticed as a potential rising star in the system.
Locmelis spent 2023-24 and 2024-25 with the UMass Minutemen, producing seven goals and 24 assists in 39 games in 2024-25, a sharp increase from just 10 points in 22 games the season prior. He has played with the Latvian national team in the IIHF World Junior Championships and IIHF World Championships, serving as captain for the 2023-24 WJC squad.
At the conclusion of Locmelis’ second season with UMass, the Bruins inked him to a three-year entry-level contract, starting in 2025-26 with an NHL cap hit of $860,000. Locmelis reported to Providence for the remainder of the P-Bruins season on a tryout contract so he could get in some professional games without burning a year of his entry-level deal.
He was a force in the six regular season games he played, racking up three goals and nine assists, averaging two points per game. One of his goals was a game-winner, and he also chipped in one power play goal to go with a +4 rating while serving just two penalty minutes. He had one assist in four playoff games with the P-Bruins.
Locmelis made a strong first impression on the Bruins in his short stint with Providence last year, and, if he can keep it up over a full season, he will be a star for Providence in the coming year and could begin to kick down the door for an NHL callup, especially if the big club struggles.
Season 4. Episode 42. New and Improved Sway. – Bruins Benders Podcast
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